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Truant: ‘I’m to blame not my mother’
Girl backs parent taken to court
A TEENAGE truant has spoken out in defence of her mother, who was prosecuted for failing to make her go to school.
Cherie Lindsey, 15, of Leather Lane, Holborn, had an attendance of just 23 per cent when Camden’s education department decided to prosecute her mother, Kim Duncanson.
Ms Duncanson was given an 18-month conditional discharge at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court and ordered to pay £50 court costs on Thursday.
Cherie, whose fear of school began when she moved to South Camden Community School, said: “I don’t like school full stop, although the school helped us with everything and my mum cooperated.
“I knew about the law but it’s stupid. It’s not the parent’s fault, it’s the kids’. They know their own mind. I’m nearly 16, I’m responsible for my own actions. What I do is what I do and nothing’s going to stop me.”
She added: “Seeing my mum in court made me want to scream out: why are you blaming the mother when it’s me doing it? I went back to school on Friday and I’m going to keep to what the magistrates said even though it’s going to be hard.
“My mum’s supported me the whole time. She stuck by me even though she probably wanted to disown me and I’m really proud of her.”
Cherie said the school tried to help by cutting out lessons she didn’t like such as PE and drama. “I was just staying at home or going out till school ended,” she said. “I don’t like being around people when I’m working, I like being on my own so I can concentrate.”
Ms Duncanson, 51, told the court she had tried to cooperate with the school. “At primary school Cherie was brilliant,” she said. “But she can’t take the big school with all the children there. Sometimes she likes to be on her own. She’s a bright child and they said it’s a pleasure to teach her.”
She added: “I tried to help, I offered to sit in classes. I’ve taken her to school and she’s walked out two hours later. I went to a parenting conference, I made a contract with her – DVD, CDs, TV, everything would be taken away if she didn’t go to school.
“She would get an outing every week if she went and a pound a day. It seemed to work at first.
“I don’t think I should have been prosecuted, although I thought it was a fair sentence. I really thought I would get a heavy fine and I wouldn’t be able to pay and would go to prison.”
Representing Camden Council, Paul Beckham said Cherie attended only 32 out of a possible 134 half-day sessions at school.
“This started off in 2005 when Cherie Lindsey’s attendance started to deteriorate,” he said. “Various attempts were made to conduct meetings with Cherie and Kim Duncanson to assist improving attendance.” |
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